Grundbedingung

Grundbedingung is a German term meaning a fundamental condition that must be fulfilled for a given outcome, process, or state to occur. It denotes a necessary prerequisite; its satisfaction does not guarantee the result by itself, but without it the result cannot take place.

Etymology and nuance: The word combines Grund (foundation) with Bedingung (condition). In everyday and scientific language it is used alongside terms such as Voraussetzung (prerequisite) and Notwendige Bedingung (necessary condition). The nuance is that Grundbedingung emphasizes an essential, foundational requirement.

Applications: In science and engineering, Grundbedingung describes baseline assumptions or inputs needed for experiments or models to be valid; in philosophy, it refers to conditions that must hold for a claim or state to be possible; in economics and policy, it indicates core constraints or enabling conditions for decisions and outcomes.

Examples: Valid input data is a Grundbedingung for correct data processing. Proper calibration and instrument stability are Grundbedingungen for reliable measurements. A stable legal framework is a Grundbedingung for long-term investment. In mathematics, continuity is a Grundbedingung for certain theorems to apply.

See also: Notwendige Bedingung, hinreichende Bedingung, Voraussetzung, Bedingung.